What’s new?
10 March 2008
A brighter future for water voles is welcomed
The Wildlife Trust celebrates as the water vole becomes a protected species
One of Cambridgeshire’s most threatened species, the water vole, has been given full legal protection under new proposals announced by Defra.
This important announcement has been a long time coming. The recommendation for full protection was made six years ago but has only just come into effect.
From 6 April It will be against the law to intentionally kill a water vole or to intentionally, or recklessly, damage or disturb the places they use for shelter or protection, meaning that their future is a much safer one.
The water vole is the UK’s fastest declining native mammal and is threatened by both habitat loss and predation by American mink. In 1990 there were seven million water voles in the UK. By 1998 numbers had crashed to less than a million and they have since continued to fall. Previous legal protection for water voles, introduced in 1998, extended only to the animal’s habitat, not to the animal itself. This proved a source of confusion, resulting in the loss of important water vole colonies.
Water vole populations have disappeared completely from many parts of the UK, but our local area provides an important refuge for surviving voles, especially the Fens, Cambridge city, Peterborough and parts of South Cambridgeshire.
For the past decade, The Wildlife Trust has been working hard to ensure that water voles survive, by improving wetland habitats and working with local landowners, Internal Drainage Boards, the Environment Agency, water companies and Natural England.
You can help to protect Cambridgeshire’s water voles and their precious habitats by adopting one with the Wildlife Trust, either as a gift for your friends and family, or as a treat for yourself. To find out more about adopting this and other special wildlife in Cambridgeshire visit Adopt a species.
For further information please contact Ruth Hawksley, Water for Wildlife officer, on 07921 125106 or ruth.hawksley [at] wildlifebcnp.org